James Casey: Mildura man punches man at Fifteen St Coles supermarket

Hostilities between two men started out as a verbal pub argument, but they later escalated into a real bun fight.

A court has heard a man was pushed into bread shelves at a Mildura supermarket.

An exchange of words at the pub has been blamed for prompting an attack in a Mildura supermarket bread aisle.

Mildura man James Casey, 21, on appeared by phone link at Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to hitting his victim at a supermarket on December 23.

A police prosecutor told the court, Casey and a co-accused were headed to the shop on Fifteenth St.

Before arriving they identified the victim — by using the Snapchat Map feature — was at the shop.

The court was told Casey approached the victim and punched him in the lip.

Police said Casey then pushed the victim in the back of the head, causing him to fall into the bread shelves.

The court heard the victim estimated Casey punched them eight to ten times.

Casey and the co-accused retreated to the Gateway Tavern.

The prosecutor said Casey told police he and the victim were previously involved in a “verbal altercation” at The Setts pub in Mildura two weeks earlier.

In the police interview, Casey recalled the victim approached and asked his name, which he gave.

Casey told police when he asked the victim’s name, the other man’s response was: “My name is I’d really like to punch you in the f***ing face.”

The court heard Casey said he “just really wanted to do the same thing” to the victim.

“Just a switch went off in my head and I cracked him,” Casey told police.

Magistrate Rodney Higgins asked Casey why he shouldn’t put him in jail.

“You can‘t just walk up to people in the street and attack them,” Mr Higgins said.

Casey said the incident was a “complete lapse of character”.

Mr Higgins said Casey would be spared jail because of his age and lack of any prior convictions.

Casey avoided conviction and was fined $750.

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